Page 26 - Stuff Made and Built in Delaware 2020

FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE TO TECH AND BEYOND, THIS SECTOR HAS MUCH TO OFFER
management,” says Best. “Retail roles provide great organizational knowledge that, when combined with experience and education, can lead to opportunities in different areas of the bank.”
A personal banker, working in a branch, provides general customer service, processing teller transactions, while opening and servicing bank accounts and handling customers’ concerns. Contact center agents do the same over the phone, answering general inquiries and servicing accounts. These positions pay at least $30,000 to $35,000 a year plus benefits, including tuition remission offered by some employers.
Technology
This is the area of Delaware’s finance industry that offers perhaps the most, and best-paying, positions for the non- college bound.
“Technology in particular has removed that barrier [of a college degree],” says Mell.
There is a great need for software developers, but also technical support teams and a myriad of other positions. Some applicants are self-taught, others have online training or short coursework. “Coders are the most common, in-demand jobs,” Mell says.
With an increase in online banking and the rise of the fintech industry
in Delaware, the need for tech-savvy hires is unlikely to abate soon. That’s especially true because the process
of transferring money involves many steps that require technical specialists, says John Collins, co-founder of
BY MARY MAUSHARD
A career path in financial services doesn’t necessarily mean a stop in college. In fact, an array of jobs
in this growing field awaits those with little or no post-high school education.
“There are jobs in financial services that do not require a degree,” says Don Mell, site leader at JPMorgan Chase in the Delaware market.
JPMorgan Chase, in particular, has been a leader in promoting career training, as opposed to a four-year degree, as a viable path to well-paid jobs. For example, 77% of job openings the company posted in 2018 didn’t require a bachelor’s degree. The company is also in the second year of a five-year global initiative to meet the growing demand for skilled workers.
“I think this whole notion [about
the importance] of college has to be changed,” said Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, in a 2019 interview with the Delaware Business Times. “The notion should be that in your life, you can graduate high school, get [certifications], go to community college, or colleges with a [career goal], and you can start that career and change course later on. These folks can have great careers at JPMorgan and never go to college; they can change their mind and go back to college. But the fact is, you want them to do what’s good for them.”
P24 STUFF | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
Here is a closer look at some of the options for those interested in finance, but not in a four-year degree.
Retail Banking
Retail banking refers to the division of a bank that runs individual customer relationships and oversees local branches, as opposed to dealing with corporate customers. Jobs in this
field are “incredibly important and in high demand,” says Patrick Best, vice president, manager of talent acquisition, at WSFS, a financial services company headquartered in Wilmington and with more than 40 offices across the state.
Among these retail positions are personal bankers, who work in branch offices, and contact center agents,
who handle customers’ calls. These positions require a high school diploma and customer service experience. New employees receive technical training over the first four to six months on the job. Retail banking positions also include bank branch leaders, such as managers and assistant managers.
“Retail banking provides a great progression path, with many personal bankers entering and successfully completing our internal leadership program before they move into branch
TOP JOBS:
Financial Services